They Can't Take That Away From Me
by Esin of Sardis
Summary: "There are many, many crazy things that will keep me loving you. And with your permission, may I list a few?" Inspired by the Fred Astaire song by the same name. One-shot of the Potters with baby Harry sometime in the year before their deaths. Just a little fluff. James/Lily.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Neither do I own the song "They Can't Take That Away From Me". But the lyrics are public domain, so not sure I need a disclaimer for that. Oh well, Fred Astaire sings it better than I do, for sure! ~esin

* * *

They Can't Take That Away From Me

_There are many, many crazy things_

_That will keep me loving you,_

_And with your permission_

_May I list a few?_

Lily Potter sat on the floor, leaning against the couch. Her infant son lay on a blanket on the floor in front of her. The living room was dark—the only light came from the fireplace.

Lily couldn't see James; he stood in the shadow of the doorway, watching her. He smiled to himself as she tried to convince Harry to roll over. Both Lily and Harry were laughing. It was the sweetest sound he had heard in a long time. Lily's laugh was rather breathy and warm and Harry's was a delighted gurgle.

Lily leaned forward and rolled Harry from lying on his back to his tummy. The firelight caught her long red hair and turned it to gold.

_The way you wear your hat_

_The way you sip your tea_

_The memory of all that_

_No, no they can't take that away from me_

James remembered that evening. He had taken his wife to dinner and left Harry with Padfoot. Lily had been a bit nervous about leaving Harry alone with Sirius, but James had reassured her with Sirius' promise to behave. James knew that Sirius would never do anything to hurt his godson.

Lily had gotten all dressed up: a bottle green set of formfitting robes and a floppy grey hat she had gotten in a muggle shop with her sister.

James took her to a wizarding restaurant in a small muggle town for dinner. It was a sweet little place that mostly served coffees and soups. It certainly wasn't a place he would ever be caught at with Sirius or Remus, but Lily loved it. They had sat there after the meal, slowly making their way through dessert and coffee. Actually, he had coffee and Lily sipped at a cup of tea. She only had coffee in the mornings and that was something she never compromised on.

The talked about the silliest things: coffee, the weather, the Marauders' old pranks, Auror Moody's fear of ticking clocks. It was as if they were still in school, on a date in Hogsmeade. They didn't leave until the landlady closed up and shooed them off in the middle of a funny story about pranking Peeves in the Marauder's seventh year.

_The way your smile just beams_

_The way you sing off-key_

_The way you haunt my dreams_

_No, no they can't take that away from me_

Lily stretched out on her stomach on the floor next to her son. She took his small hands in her and swung them back and forth. She sang a soft ditty about a frog and Harry laughed when she tickled him after every verse and again when the song ended and she clapped his hands together.

Lily lifted Harry up and rolled so she could lay him on her chest. The baby giggled again and Lily smiled. Her shirt had been pulled up when she rolled and her hair was spread all around her. Harry shifted around, trying to escape his mother's grasp, but Lily caught him each time.

The grandfather clock in the hall struck eleven and Lily got to her feet with her struggling son still try to escape her arms. She lifted him above her head and spun around, making him shriek with delight. Lily and Harry spun until they were both winded. Then Lily collapsed back on the couch.

Harry yawned and Lily imitated him. She got back up and set him on the blanket on the floor again. She stood there, watching her baby.

James detached himself from the doorway and quietly made his way over to Lily. He slipped his arms around her waist. Her breath caught and she jumped a little, but then relaxed when she realized it was only him. She covered his hands with hers and leaned back against him.

"He's so beautiful," she sighed.

"Thank you."

She turned her head and made a face. "No, not you, silly. I meant Harry."

James sighed and put on a well-practiced puppy face. Lily turned in his arms to face him and looped her arms around his neck. "But I didn't say you weren't beautiful too."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

_We may never, never meet again_

_On the bumpy road to love_

_Still I'll always, always keep the memory of…_

"Can you hear the music, Lily?"

"Hmm? What music?"

"Naw…don't tell me you can't hear it! Listen, there it is!"

She listened for a minute, but then shook her head. "I don't hear it, James."

"Yeah you do. It's that song Remus was playing on the radio the other night."

"The one everyone was dancing to?"

"Yeah. That one."

He stepped and she followed after only a moment of hesitation. He spun her around and then back to him.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She giggled. "I love you too."

"I just want to tell you again and again."

"Okay."

James knew she was humoring him. She didn't understand. But how could he say what he was feeling? "I don't know, Lily. It's just that… people are dying every day. I don't know… if… if we'll survive or if we'll die… or if just one of us—" He broke off.

Lily rested her head against his chest. "I know, James. But we'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

James looked sadly down at her. He could still hear the ghost of the music.

_The way you hold your knife_

_The way we danced 'til three_

_The way you changed my life_

_No, they can't take that away from me_

Harry had fallen asleep on his blanket hours ago. The flames had flickered and dwindled until there were only glowing coals.

James twirled Lily around one last time and caught her in his arms as the last song ended. They were both grinning and laughing. They had danced for hours to the music James had summoned from his collection in the other room.

"We really ought to stop," Lily said between laughs.

"But we've barely started, love."

"My feet are sore and I'm going to fall over again if we do another one."

"I'll catch you."

"Really, James. I'm sleepy." To demonstrate her point Lily yawned and leaned against him. James wrapped her in a hug and kissed her hair.

"Alright. You go on up. I'll get Harry."

Lily kissed his lips and knelt down to kiss her son's forehead. When she reached the door, she turned and smiled and James.

"I love you," she whispered. And then she turned and made her way upstairs, humming as she went.

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**A/N:** Awww. So sweet. And sad. :'(

There you are, as promised, the one-shot, posted in honor of my birthday! Thanks so much to all my readers. You guys make my day! Thanks for reading and please review! If you're new around here, feel free to check out my other stories as well!

~esin


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